Wednesday, March 24, 2004

An attempt to save face over the embarrassing events at Claremont McKenna college

Many professors and administrators are trying to excuse how they overreacted to Kerri Dunn's allegations. While they are urging people to let Kerri Dunn be given the benefit of the doubt, they were the same people who were quick to judge the guilt of their very own students. One student frets that he hopes the latest revelations about Dunn do not lead to "cynicism and anger" on campus.

However, it is precisely because of liberal cynicism and anger that the campus community was led to believe that fellow students were capable of carrying out such a heinous act. No one tried to halt the finger pointing. No one declared, "we live in a great campus community, this could not have come from one of us." Instead, people assumed the worst about their neighbors and fellow students. Professors and administrators were quick to believe that the very students that they are entrusted to educate were, in fact, the ones to blame.

I wonder when the finger pointers will apologize to the whole student body. When will President Pamela Gann apologize for immediately assuming that her students were culpable if it does turn out that Kerri Dunn is guilty? Don't hold your breath.

Here are the latest developments....
March 24- Kerri Dunn has a rap sheet in NebraskaWhile in Lincoln, Dunn's criminal record wasn't spotless. She was arrested in September 1999 for driving with a suspended license, for which she paid a $50 fine.

In December 1999, she was arrested for shoplifting $30 worth of clothing from a Buckle clothing store, though those charges were later dismissed. In September 2000, she was fined $200 after being arrested for shoplifting $141 in jewelry from Dillard's department store and $403 in shoes and knives from Younkers, according to Lincoln Police Department records.

March 22- Students confused, angry: college discusses professor"She told us that she thought one of her students did it," said Daniel Curtis, a student in a psychology class taught by Dunn, who is now on leave. "If she did do it, we were lied to straight to our faces. That is insulting and to make us question our classmates and friends is horrible. If she did do it, I feel betrayed."

March 20- Professor May Have Falsified Hate CrimePolice said two people have since reported that Dunn's car already was painted when it pulled into the college parking lot and that they saw her pop the tires.

March 20- News Release from Pamela Gann, President of Claremont McKenna College"Professor Dunn has, however, continued to deny any involvement in the alleged crime, and we should all respect her Constitutional rights to due process, including the presumption of innocence. I can only emphasize that, irrespective of whether the incident was real or a hoax, the tremendous response of our students and faculty in coming together on Wednesday, March 10 was very positive and should not be forgotten."

March 19- Pomona College news release"[T]his information certainly comes as a shock and surprise to our community," said Claremont McKenna College President Pamela Gann. "I'm just afraid that all that community spirit is going to be lost and become cynicism and anger," Warren Katzenstein, student body president of Harvey Mudd College, told the Los Angeles Times.